Attack Ad Season Opens

Romney and his crew are trying to turn Perry's "discounts" for "illegals" into the Texas governor's own Romneycare-like problem. For his part, Romney has demonstrated a certain deftness in running from—or escaping—his past. He hasn't fully shed the flip-flop label, and he hasn't totally neutralized the Romneycare attacks. But he's achieved much on these fronts. After all, this mandate-imposing, former friend of the gays, abortion rights advocate, and gun-control supporter remains in strong contention for the Republican presidential nomination. Perry has yet to display a similar skill set, and Romney's strategy of the moment is to ensure that Perry has a mighty need for such talents.

Perry, meanwhile, released an an ad attacking Romney for healthcare flip-flopping. Ed Morrissey says it "has all the charm of a corporate flip chart, and even less in wit."